So high school football practice starts next week, and you spent more time carrying a cooler to the beach than lifting weights this summer.

What, realistically, can you do to improve your conditioning in the final days leading up to the first time you run into Ol’ Coach again?

Realistically, nothing, West Ottawa head trainer Gary Howe said.

But there are some things you can to do to mitigate the struggles of keeping up with your more disciplined teammates. In fact, Howe gave four tips of advice for any athlete to follow in the week before practice begins for any fall sport.

“There’s not going to be improvement as far as their level of conditioning, but (there are) things they can do to improve their outcome of adding participation,” Howe said.

1. Nutrition

You know that food pyramid you learned in elementary school? Now is as good a time as ever to start following it judiciously.

This means making sure to eat proper portions of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, while staying away from fast food, anything fried or greasy, Howe said.

“Another thing I think the age group should do is make sure they are taking a multivitamin, because kids will typically not eat all of the food groups,” he said. “They still want to get the nutrients to help their muscles function properly.”

Also, stay away from sports drinks prior to practice, as he said there is a big misconception regarding them.

“They shouldn’t drink sports drinks prior to activity during the day, because it’s got a high sugar content,” he said.

To break down the sugar and electrolytes from the drink, the body will pull fluids from muscles and other parts of the body, so it effectively predisposes the person to a dehydration problem if consumed at the wrong time, Howe said.

3. Flexibility

The most common injuries that occur in the first week of practice are pulled muscles, and he said stretching now can benefit the athlete later.

Getting into a routine of stretching two or three times a day, primarily the large muscle groups — hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, calves — will decrease the risk of injury when practice begins, Howe said.

“That’s also going to help subside some of the pain they get from increased activity,” he added.

Hold the stretches for 40 to 45 seconds as opposed to a 10 second “quickie,” he said.

“When you go into a stretch, you actually contract the muscle to get it in to the position you’re trying to stretch,” Howe said. “And it takes six to eight seconds to get it relaxed, and you’re not going to stretch the muscle until it relaxes.”

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4. Sleep

Athletes will want to get nine to 10 hours of sleep every night during the first week of practice, so now is a good time to get into a healthy sleeping habit, he said.

“That’s when the restoration process takes place, so if you do any wear and tear during the day or during the practices, night time is when all the repairs are going to occur,” Howe said. “So if you cut yourself short, maybe all the repairs won’t complete themselves.”